Birmingham Airport launches ad campaign on its long haul network for manufacturers
Birmingham Airport has put together a series of political adverts on the importance of aviation to the UK manufacturing sector. This is to influence the Airports Commission. Paul Kehoe at Birmingham Airport has been very vocal in his opposition to the idea of a hub airport in London and these adverts – which will run until July 19th which is the deadline date for airport proposals to the Commission – reflect this. The campaign features a number of high-profile figures from across the manufacturing industry, including managing director of MG Motor who reiterates the point that some of Britain’s most important companies are based in the Midlands, south-west and north of the country. Birmingham is submitting its plans for massive growth and a new runway to the Airports Commission. Birmingham Airport’s Paul Kehoe said: “These adverts make a serious point – our aviation sector is currently failing to adequately serve the majority of UK businesses that are located outside of the south-east.”
.
Tweet
Birmingham Airport enlists leading manufacturers for its long-haul network campaign
8th July 2013 (The Business Desk)
By Duncan Tift – Deputy Editor, West Midlands
One of the posters supporting the Birmingham Airport campaign
BIRMINGHAM Airport has mounted a hard-hitting campaign backed by leading manufacturers, aimed at persuading policy-makers that the UK needs a network of long-haul airports to cater for business demand across the whole of the country.
Supporting the campaign is a series of adverts which focus on the importance of Birmingham Airport for UK manufacturing. They feature high profile manufacturers from the region including William Wang, managing director of MG Motor UK, who asks: “The UK’s manufacturing base is not near Heathrow. So why do I have to fly from there?”
Another advert stresses that a third runway at Heathrow is not a long-term national aviation strategy and that the UK needs a network of long-haul airports across the country. It states: “A third runway won’t solve our aviation problems. Four airports will.”
The advertising has been run in response to the Airports Commission’s inquiry and is aimed at the Commission and policy-makers. The ad campaign will run up until July 19 – the deadline set by the Airports Commission for long-term proposals from airports and project sponsors.
Chief Executive of Birmingham Airport, Paul Kehoe, said: “These adverts make a serious point – our aviation sector is currently failing to adequately serve the majority of UK businesses that are located outside of the South East.
“We can talk about the importance of additional hub capacity in the South East for the UK economy until we are blue in the face, but unless we listen to businesses across the UK we are failing to meet the needs of our national economy.
“It is not just me saying this. These are serious business people who want to grow their businesses, create more jobs and contribute more to UK GDP. It is not good enough that our sector doesn’t serve these people and it is time for this to change.”
Backing the campaign, Mr Wang said: “The UK manufacturing base is outside of the South East and, as a result, it suffers from a lack of direct air links with crucial long-haul markets like China. A Birmingham to Shanghai route alone would enable hundreds of business flights a year to operate, boosting the growth of British manufacturing and encouraging inward investment.”
.
.
Earlier
Birmingham Airport unveils vision for growth, up to 70 million passengers per year, new business park etc
June 10, 2013 Birmingham Airport has unveiled long-term growth plans to challenge Heathrow’s supremacy and help to what they say will ‘rebalance the UK economy’. The plan would see Birmingham catering for 70m air passengers a year and 500,000 flights a year – both slightly more than Heathrow now. A business park for the Midland’s manufacturing sector is also proposed alongside the expanded airport site and has the backing of some business leaders and local councils. It, of course, predictably, promises huge numbers of jobs – no less than a quarter of a million. Paul Kehoe, the airport’s CEO, expects that in 20 years’ time British air travel will double – though there is no evidence for this, and it is utterly at variance with the advice of the UK’s Committee on Climate Change that UK air passengers could perhaps increase by 60% on 2005 levels by 2050. For the whole of the UK. Birmingham airport thinks transport infrastructure acts as an economic enabler, “a pathway to a virtuous cycle of growth”, and “each major regional economy cannot succeed without its own meaningful international gateway.” They believe “the UK economy is large enough to support at least four major ‘national’ airports – London, Midlands, North West, Scotland”. Click here to view full story…
Birmingham Airport expected to announce plans for 2nd runway and new terminal to the Airports Commission
June 8, 2013 Birmingham Airport is expected to announce shortly that it is considering building a 2nd runway, and submit its plan to the Airports Commission. The airport wants to be considered as a major part of Britain’s aviation plans for the future, and could be a hub for European airports. Back in 2007 the airport’s plans for a second runway, in its Master Plans, were dropped in favour of the runway extension – due to open in 2014. If HS2 is built, Birmingham airport intends to benefit from it. Proposals include another terminal, incorporating HS2, as well as the runway. It is thought that the airport will say, in its submission, that the runway may not be needed for a long time, even decades as it currently caters for some 9 million passengers and could take over 25 million on its one runway. The airport’s plans are reported to be supported by the West Midlands Economic Forum which will release a report expected to say that there is plenty more potential growth for Birmingham Airport as the world economy grows. MP Mark Garnier said the airport needed to capitalise on being at the heart of the motorway and potential high-speed rail networks. Click here to view full story…